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by cognomen



Series: Cognomen's List of Things that Aren't Reptiles [16]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Daemons, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-07 23:37:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14092212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cognomen/pseuds/cognomen
Summary: February Ficlet Challenge Day 16. Pairing: Pepper/Tony, Prompt: Daemon AU“Think of it as a sort of—personal assistant?” Tony suggests. Pepper seems less thrilled with his latest programming genius than he expects.“Tony, the last time I had a personal assistant, she turned out to be a spy,” Pepper reminds. “Besides, this one doesn’t even have any hands.”





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“Think of it as a sort of—personal assistant?” Tony suggests. Pepper seems less thrilled with his latest programming genius than he expects.

“Tony, the last time I had a personal assistant, she turned out to be a spy,” Pepper reminds. “Besides, this one doesn’t even have any hands.”

“You like Natasha anyway,” Tony says, defensively. “Think of it as a prototype. It doesn’t need hands, it interfaces with everything in the house.”

Pepper gives him a look, then she looks down at the little, minx-shaped projection waiting at her heels. It looks up at her, expectant.

“Why a—?”

“Mink?” Tony supplies.

“—isn’t that a little sexist?” she finishes.

“They’re actually really ferocious,” Tony says, winningly. “Behind those cute button eyes and soft fur, they’re all murder.”

“And you think that suits me?” Pepper asks, indulging him. He can tell she’s secretly pleased and not angry.

“Anyone who’s seen the way you make deals in the boardroom would agree,” Tony says, taking her hands and rubbing them between his own, turning on the charm. “You’re amazing and effective. And cute.”

“Cute?” she echoes, in the tone of voice she adopts when Tony lays it on too thick.

Tony tries to push his advantage. Sometimes he feels like he doesn’t get to tell her enough how much she matters. He gets distracted or his focus gets shifted onto his latest project, or the world gets into some kind of colossal danger.

“Gorgeous?” he tries.

“Mm-hm, keep going.”

“A vision of loveliness,” Tony says, sweeping her into an awkward waltz. He’s not a bad dancer, but the lab floor is covered in works in progress. “My sun and moon.”

“Okay, no, we are not playing Game of Thrones,” Pepper says.

“No?” he feels almost put-out.

“No,” she says, firmly. Tony could probably talk her into it eventually if he really wants to. He likes to feel like he’s earned something, or overcome a challenge.

“Besides, it can call all the security protocols up,” Tony says, and it takes Pepper a minute to realize they’re talking about the Daemon—as Tony had called it—again.

“Tony, Friday could already do that,” she laughs. “But okay. So where’s yours. Is it a Beaver? A house cat?”

“I thought about beaver, but I couldn’t stop making jokes.”

“What are you, twelve?” she laughs. “Then what _is_ it?”

“Promise you won’t laugh?” Tony asks, in his best impression of someone who cares.

Pepper knows him well enough to know it must really matter. “Well, is it a monkey?”

“No.”

“And not a beaver.”

“I get enough beaver alrea—”

“If you finish that sentence,”  Pepper tells him, sweetly, “you’re guaranteeing you won’t get any for a very long time.”

“Alright,” he says, and gives a voice command to call up his version of the Daemon program. Friday complies.

The holographic generators produce a familiar form—a medium sized bird with sharp black eyes and glossy matching feathers.

She laughs. “A crow?”

“You said you wouldn’t laugh,” Tony says, although she hadn’t done any such thing. He sounds uncertain when he corrects her. “A raven.”

Pepper kisses him. “It’s more understated than I expected.”

“I thought it was clever,” Tony says, leaning into her.

“Well,” Pepper says, reaching down to pet the mink he’d assigned to her. “It’s no more bird-brained than any of your other ideas.”


End file.
